On-the-Job Behaviors Scale

Abstract

The On-the-Job Behaviors scale (OJB) is a psychological measure developed by Lehman and Simpson in 1992, comprising 22 items designed to assess the frequency of various workplace actions demonstrated by employees. This instrument categorizes behaviors into four distinct dimensions critical to organizational behavior research: Positive Work Behaviors, Psychological Withdrawal Behaviors, Physical Withdrawal Behaviors, and Antagonistic Work Behaviors.

The scale captures the spectrum of employee conduct, from proactive organizational citizenship (e.g., volunteering for additional work) to counterproductive actions (e.g., gossiping, sleeping at work). Responses are gathered using a 7-point Likert-type scale format, making it a valuable tool for examining the relationship between employee attitudes, context, and subsequent behavioral outcomes.

Keywords

On-the-Job Behaviors, Workplace Deviance, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Withdrawal Behaviors, Employee Performance, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Psychology, Counterproductive Work Behavior.

Authors

Lehman, W. E. K., Simpson, D. D.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the OJB scale is to systematically quantify both constructive and detrimental behaviors exhibited by employees within the work environment. It provides a standardized method for researchers and industrial/organizational psychologists to study the prevalence and predictors of specific workplace actions, such as absenteeism, engagement, and interpersonal conflict.

By offering distinct subscales for positive engagement and various forms of withdrawal or antagonistic actions, the OJB scale facilitates a nuanced analysis of workforce productivity, job satisfaction, and the overall professional climate, enabling targeted interventions to mitigate negative behaviors.

Construct

The On-the-Job Behaviors scale measures the broad construct of Employee Work Behavior, conceptualized as having four distinct, yet related, dimensions that range from constructive engagement to active deviance. These factors capture the full spectrum of employee responses to their jobs and organizations.

The four factors are: Positive Work Behaviors (5 items), which reflect proactive actions intended to benefit the job or organization (e.g., attempting to improve job conditions); Psychological Withdrawal Behaviors (8 items), which involve mental or passive disengagement from work duties (e.g., daydreaming, spending time on personal tasks); Physical Withdrawal Behaviors (4 items), which involve literal absence or neglect of duties (e.g., leaving early, taking long breaks); and Antagonistic Work Behaviors (5 items), which involve active, disruptive actions directed toward colleagues or supervisors (e.g., arguing, disobeying instructions).

Validity

The validity of the OJB scale has been explored through correlational studies, notably by Cropanzano et al. (1997), demonstrating strong relationships between the subscales and established organizational constructs.

Evidence for validity includes:

• Positive Work Behaviors correlated positively with high-engagement variables such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job involvement, job tension, and general fatigue.
• Antagonistic Behaviors showed expected positive correlations with psychological withdrawal behaviors, organizational politics, job tension, general fatigue, and burnout.
• Psychological Withdrawal Behaviors correlated positively with organizational politics, turnover intentions, general fatigue, and burnout, indicating their association with distress and disengagement. Crucially, psychological withdrawal correlated negatively with perceived organizational support, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job involvement, supporting its discriminant validity from positive engagement constructs.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the OJB subscales was assessed using Coefficient Alpha, as reported in subsequent research (Cropanzano et al., 1997). The reliability estimates varied across the four dimensions, reflecting generally acceptable to moderate internal consistency.

The Coefficient Alpha values reported are:

• Positive Work Behaviors: .68 to .70
• Psychological Withdrawal Behaviors: .62 to .84
• Antagonistic Work Behaviors: .60 to .62
• Physical Withdrawal Behaviors: .58 (This value is generally considered marginal for internal consistency in psychometric standards.)

Factor Analysis

The structure of the On-the-Job Behaviors scale is inherently multidimensional, based on the theoretical framework established by Lehman and Simpson (1992). The 22 items are designed to load onto four distinct factors: Positive, Psychological Withdrawal, Physical Withdrawal, and Antagonistic behaviors.

This four-factor structure allows researchers to independently examine different facets of employee conduct, distinguishing between constructive efforts, passive disengagement, physical avoidance, and active deviance. While the original source primarily focuses on the conceptual derivation and subsequent correlational validation, the clear grouping of items supports the scale’s use as a measure of four separate, yet related, dimensions of organizational behavior.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological Measure / Behavioral Inventory

Format: 22 items administered via a 7-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 7 (very often).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Employees and Working Professionals

Age Group: Adult Working Age

Population Details: Suitable for assessing on-the-job conduct across various organizational settings and industries.

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to quantify the frequency of specific behaviors they have engaged in over a defined period (e.g., “In the past twelve months, how often have you…”).

Keywords

Workplace Behavior, Employee Substance Use, Job Involvement, Job Tension, Burnout, Organizational Politics, Withdrawal, Work Productivity.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was first published in 1992. The items were originally published in the Journal of Applied Psychology and are copyrighted by the American Psychological Association (APA). Researchers intending to use the scale must secure appropriate reprint permissions from the APA, as the items were included in the source material with explicit permission.

Test Year: 1992

Reference’s

• Lehman, W. E. K., & Simpson, D. D. (1992). Employee substance use and on-the-job behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77, 309-321.
• Cropanzano, R., James, K., & Konovsky, M. A. (1997). Dispositional Affectivity as a Predictor of Withdrawal and Antagonistic Behaviors at Work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 18(6), 595-606.

Items of the On-the-Job Behaviors scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Responses are obtained using a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = never and 7 = very often. Items are introduced with the statement “In the past twelve months, how often have you ?

Positive work behaviors:

1. Done more work than required
2. Volunteered to work overtime
3. Made attempts to change work conditions
4. Negotiated with supervisors to improve job
5. Tried to think of ways to do the job better

Psychological withdrawal behaviors:

1. Thought of being absent
2. Chatted with co-workers about nonwork topics
3. Left work situation for unnecessary reasons
4. Daydreamed
5. Spent work time on personal matters
6. Put less effort into the job than should have
7. Thought of leaving current job
8. Let others do your work

Physical withdrawal behaviors:

1. Left work early without permission
2. Taken longer lunch or rest break than allowed
3. Taken supplies or equipment without permission
4. Fallen asleep at work

Antagonistic work behaviors:

1. Reported others for breaking rules or policies
2. Filed formal complaints
3. Argued with co-workers
4. Disobeyed supervisor’s instructions
5. Spread rumors or gossip about co-workers